What was once considered a luxury service or special occasion treatment, massage therapy is moving rapidly to the forefront of health conscious individuals. It takes just a little bit of research in history to see that massage therapy was instrumental in maintaining health of the Egyptian elite, Babylonian Kings and Queens and Chinese emperors. Records depicting the higher social order regularly receiving some form of touch therapy. A profoundly rich text of the East Indian culture called the “Vedas”, offers herb infused oil recipes to be applied to the skin for everything from common ailments to assisting in newborns to gain weight. With our evolving western civilization descending from a royal bloodline is no longer a prerequisite to justify massage therapy.

1. Clearing your lymphatic system of toxins: One of the first massage techniques a massage therapist learns is called Effleurage.  A gentle circular designed technique that stimulates your lymphatic system to release stored toxins under your skin, then to be intelligently filtered and removed by your kidneys. The lymphatic system relies almost entirely on movement. If your occupation involves sitting or driving for extended hours your lymph system remains idle. Imagine what happens to standing water similarly is occurring in microscopic pools all over your body in your lymph system. Just a one hour relaxation massage flushes your lymph of toxins and subsequently reduces the need for your body's immune system to be on alert removing bacteria buildup in these areas.
    
2. Reduces the asymmetrical tension of muscles: Are you on your feet for the majority of the day? Slinging a briefcase/pocket book back and forth? As eloquent as our skeletal muscles are in adapting to an environment of repetitive use, without balancing the scales of proper stretching, hydration and nutrition you will increase your susceptibility to injury. Take a moment and turn your head to either shoulder, notice any tension? That stored tension is just from day to day activities and will progressively put more strain on your spine. Muscles were designed to do one thing: contract and release equally. Repetitive use of muscles causes that symmetrical operation to become asymmetrical. In other words your muscles do not return back to completely relaxed state. They stay “on”, even when your “resting”.  Regular massage re-educates skeletal muscles back to their fully relaxed state and significantly reduces tendon inflammation.
    
3. Blood Pressure Benefits: Massage reduces hypertension, suggests a good deal of research. This may be because it stimulates pressure receptors that prompt action from the vagus nerve, one of the nerves that emerges from the brain. The vagus nerve regulates blood pressure, as well as other functions. In a 2005 study at the University of South Florida, hypertension patients who received 10 massages of 10 minutes each over three weeks showed significant improvements in blood pressure compared to a control group who simply rested in the same environment without any massage.*
    
4. Maintains Peripheral Nervous system health: The human body has hundreds of thousands of touch receptors throughout the body, sadly most of them remain idle. A one hour massage re-activates and exercises your peripheral nervous system by relaying endorphin like chemical messengers transmitting this feels great to your central nervous system! As if a hundred thousand tiny applauses occurring throughout your body. This is a common result described as a natural high with no adverse side effects.
    
5. Nourishes your first line of defense, your skin: Our skin is the largest organ of the body, it maintains our body temperature, holds our organs in place and also aids the liver in removing toxins from our blood. When a massage therapist utilizes certified organic oils your skin receives nourishment into maintaining its protective barrier by keeping your skin soft and supple, accompanied by a healthy glowing appearance. With the onset of increasing levels of chlorine in public water supplies your skin is stripped of its protection everytime you shower. Dry skin leads to cracking and susceptibility to environmental bacteria.

Most importantly massage creates a nurturing environment of time to literally unwind. There is no other passive therapy that accomplishes these five surprising benefits as efficiently as massage therapy.

Jack Barakitis is a massage therapist of 12 years and an educator of 5 years in massage therapy he and his wife Sona also a massage therapist, offer couples massage treatments at FirstHealth and in the comfort of your home. Please visit their website at www.andoverintegrativemassage.com for more information.

*Statistical information on Blood Pressure Benefits provided by NewsWeek.com

- Jack Barakitis - LMT